


I want you

by MissMeBetween



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-03-24 23:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMeBetween/pseuds/MissMeBetween
Summary: Future Charity and Vanessa times. Some resemblance of story. Fluff and smut.





	1. Chapter 1

She takes a long, deep breath and moves the cold glass to her lips. She focuses on every small detail. The crisp taste of the wine. The drop of condensation rolling over her fingers and falling into the water below. 

As Vanessa smiles at her from the opposite side of the bath, she allows herself to sink further into the warmth. 

“You alright?” The vet asks. 

When Charity doesn't reply she pulls one of her feet out from under the bubbles and begins gently rubbing the sole with her thumbs. “Babe?”

“Just wondering what I did to deserve all this.” Charity takes another sip before she continues, gesturing to the sleek and bright bathroom they are currently in. “A slap-up meal and a night in a fancy hotel. I mean, I can't remember the last time someone went to all this effort for me.”

Vanessa switches her attention to the other foot and watches as Charity rolls her head back. 

“Charity, you're my girlfriend.”

That's it. That's the only excuse Vanessa needs.

The landlady pulls her head back up to make eye contact but can't quite handle what she finds there. 

“Guess I should enjoy it while it lasts. Until you realise that there are a million better women out there.”

In reply, Vanessa does nothing, to begin with, but tilt her head. Then she suddenly let's go to Charity's foot and stands, reaching for a towel. The taller woman can do nothing but give her a questioning look as she dries her body and wraps the towel around herself. She takes the wine glass out of her girlfriend's hand and picks up her own off the ledge by the tub. With a quick peck on bemused lips, the vet goes back into the bedroom. 

“Get dry and bring the bottle in here.” She throws over her shoulder. 

When Charity does walk into the room, she finds her standing by the side of the bed, sipping from her glass, and looking at the bed. With her free hand, Charity nervously readjusts the towel around her own body as she moves towards her. 

Spotting her girlfriend, Vanessa puts her drink down and greets her by taking the bottle, placing it to join the glasses on the bedside table, and using her other hand to guide Charity, sit down on the bed. 

The nerves haven't dissipated. She waits for the other woman to make a move. 

“Do I make you happy?” The vet asks in a small voice. 

“What?” She responds. All she gets back is that head tilt again. “Yes. You make me happy.” She so sincere she could crack. 

Vanessa slowly opens the material covering her body and throws it across the room as a smile plays on her lips. 

“You make me really happy when you do that babe.” Charity adds, lighter. 

The smaller woman steps forwards into Charity's waiting grasp. Her hands hold onto Vanessa's hips, and she gently kisses her stomach. 

“So why is it so hard for you to believe that you make me happy too.” 

She hears the kind voice above her. She feels hands playing with her hair. She knows that Vanessa has learnt that this is how she can do emotion, with a heap of physical reassurance and nothing too forced. Of course, she makes her happy. 

“Is that enough?” Charity can hear how frail she sounds, and she hates it, but she chances a glance upwards anyway. 

Vanessa's hands wrap around her face, and she falls to her knees in front of the taller woman. When their mouths connect, it's messy, it's too eager, and it's everything that Charity has to offer. 

The smile on Vanessa's face when they pull apart makes her heart beat a little faster. 

“It's enough for me. You are enough for me. Okay?” Charity nods, unable to say anything. “I brought you here because we've been so busy with work and the kids that we've hardly seen each other and I know this might come as a shock, yeah, but I actually enjoy spending time with you.”

The smile is even broader, and Charity can feel how wide the stupid grin on her own face is. She can't stop herself from leaning forward and kissing her girlfriend briefly. 

“This isn't some build up to a big fight or me leaving you or something. I'm not going to ask you to do anything, other than what we've been doing the last few months. If that's alright with you?” She raises her eyebrows in challenge and Charity laughs, her fingers squeezing the vet's shoulders in reassurance. 

“I'm up for that yeah.”

“Good.” Vanessa's eyes narrow as she leans in and kisses the taller woman's neck. One hand pulls on the loose knot holding the towel in place over Charity's chest, and it falls down in a second. Vanessa's mouth follows it, and her girlfriend can't help the moan that escapes when she wraps her lips around an erect nipple. 

She rolls her hips in an attempt to stress her need for Vanessa to continue moving her attention downwards. Seeming to get the hint the smaller woman presses a hand to either hip and locks eyes with Charity. Neither of them blinks as she lowers her mouth to its destination. As soon as she begins flicking her tongue over the swollen bundle of nerves though, Charity collapses onto her back. If it weren’t for Vanessa’s strong hands anchoring her to the bed, her pelvis would be jumping in all directions. Her hands find their way into golden hair as she feels a tongue skillfully move over her folds, around her entrance, dipping inside and back to toy with her clit. 

Toy with her. After a few minutes, she realises that is exactly what Vanessa is doing. She knows that her girlfriend knows what she is doing. However amazing this feels, she's never going to have an orgasm at this pace and pressure. It feels good though so she lies on the bed and relaxes.

After half an hour, Charity’s moans have become desperate, though. Every time she gets close, everytime she thinks that Vanessa will show mercy, she eases off again. 

“Babe?” She cries as that intense pressure disappears yet again.

“Yeah?” A tiny blonde appears between her legs, and she musters up any remaining energy she has to prop herself up on her elbows. 

Vanessa is trying to look innocent, but the moisture on her lips and chin glistens in the light of the hotel room.

“Not… not that, that doesn't feel fucking incredible but, when are you going to stop torturing me?” She's pleading. What was Vanessa doing to her?

The woman in question kisses Charity’s inner right thigh and lifts it over her shoulder. Her right-hand moves to trace her entrance and Charity’s eyes close involuntarily.

“Charity.” It is Vanessa who is pleading now and it forces her to open her eyes and lock onto deep blue ones. “I don't want a million other women. Okay?”

Charity nods.

“I want you.” Vanessa's voice comes out horse, trying to cover all kinds of emotion and failing miserably.

The taller woman smiles.

“Okay, Ness.” She swallows hard. “Okay. Can you please just make me cum now?”

If Vanessa’s eyes had been dark before, hearing her girlfriend beg sends her over the edge. She pushes two fingers inside her, and after a couple of thrusts, she begins curling them on the way out. 

Charity once again collapses onto the bed and begins cumming as soon as Vanessa starts sucking on her clit at the same time as pushing up at that spot inside her that made her explode every time. 

As she starts to come down, Charity can feel Vanessa's mouth moving lazily over her folds and clit, causing little jumps from her hips. Apparently, the smaller woman isn't done with her yet.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the front door opening takes her attention away from whatever is playing on the screen. She had let Johnny pick from his shelf of DVDs. 

“Hey babe.” She greets Vanessa, who is yet to have removed her shoes or coat and simply stares at her blankly. “You alright?”

The vet seems to shake herself out of whatever daze she had been in as Johnny notices his mother's presence. She pulls of her coat before pulling him up onto her hip. 

Charity is still looking up at her from the sofa. 

“Vanessa?”

“Sorry,” She offers as she shifts her son to the other hip. “It's just when you text that you'd picked him up from Rhona’s and brought him here, I thought something bad must have happened.” She looks apologetic as she kisses the boy on the cheek and puts him down. He climbs back to sit next to Charity who unconsciously let's him under her arm. 

“Nothing’s happened. Moses is with his Dad and Noah is at a mate's so I thought we could have a night together, as I am off from the pub. Then I remembered this one, “ 

She plays with Johnny's hair as he continues to watch TV. “and I thought if I got him fed and ready for bed before you got back, we could have a bit more of a romantic meal ourselves.” 

“Wait, so you cooked?” She beams at her girlfriend and sits down next to her, picking up the toddler and putting him on her lap. 

“It has been known to happen.”

“And you feel okay?” She whispers to Johnny so that Charity can hear. 

“Hey!” She exclaims in mock offence. “I could go off you, you know?”

“I'd like to see you try.” Vanessa's voice has dropped to an actual whisper, challenging the taller woman. 

Charity just leans in and kisses her. When she pulls back, the vet follows and places another peck on grateful lips. 

“Do you mind if I shower after I put him down? I feel so gross. Paddy and I had to go look at these cows right and… “

“Shush!” Charity interrupts. “Go wash, by all means, but don't say another word else you'll put me off my tea.” She finds herself smiling as she finishes her complaining and Vanessa smiles back. 

“Right, you.” She says to Johnny. “Say goodnight to Charity.” 

The boy suddenly launches himself at her and luckily, Charity is fast enough to grab him. 

“Johnny!” His mother scolds. 

“It's alright.” The taller woman laughs and gives him a hug. “Goodnight kidda.”

“Night.” He responds. 

Vanessa scoops him up and takes him upstairs. 

Charity is washing up the oven dish when she hears her girlfriend come back down stairs. 

“Smells good, babe.”

“I'll ignore the tone of surprise, babe.” She responds, sitting down in the chair perpendicular to Vanessa. Taking a sip of wine, she watches the other woman take a bite of the chicken pasta bake, actually a little nervous under the surface. 

“Oh, wow.” Vanessa said, gesturing with the fork in her hand. “How did I not know you could cook?”

“Why’d you just assume I couldn't?” She fired back in challenge, taking up her own cutlery. 

“Probably because we've been together for months and you've never cooked more than toast.”

“Well, I've got to have some secret talents haven't I? I mean if people knew I was a domestic goddess as well as dynamite in the sack, I'd have a queue of admirers out the door wouldn't I?”

“Is that not what you want?” Vanessa asks as she takes a sip of red wine. 

Charity takes in the image of the woman in front of her. Her lips have been slightly tinged by the tomato in the dinner and the wine. 

“I can have all the admirers in the world.” She shrugs. “Still be sat here wouldn't I.”

The smaller woman goes to kiss her on the cheek but she pulls away before she can. 

“Not with those lips babe.” When Vanessa's face drops, she kisses the vet's cheek instead. “It was nice of you to dress up for the occasion by the way.” She jokes, waving her hand to draw attention to her girlfriend’s attire. 

Vanessa had returned from the shower in a pair of plaid pyjama trousers, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. 

She blushes and carries on shovelling fork loads of dinner into her mouth. “I'm sorry.” Vanessa says in between bites. “They're just so comfy and today has been so crap."

“It's fine. I'm winding you up. You look very cute actually.”

Vanessa blushes again. 

After they finish eating, the smaller one of the two runs up to check on Johnny. Charity starts drying up the dishes she had left earlier and looks out the window. Her life had changed so much in less than a year but it had been so incremental that she almost couldn't process all the steps that had led her here. 

She is so lost in thought that the sudden feeling of two arms wrapping around her waist shocks her. 

“Hey, domestic goddess.” Vanessa whispers just below her left ear, as she pulls the tea towel out from her hands and turns Charity around.

Her body is pressed between her girlfriend's and the sink. She pulls her up into a slow kiss with her hands buried in golden hair. Pushing forward, Charity monouvers them to the kitchen table and encourages Vanessa to perch on the edge. She moves her mouth to her girlfriend's neck and sucks hard on her pulse point. 

Vanessa's right hand grips the table edge so hard, her knuckles turn white. 

Charity pulls back to look her in the eye and moves fully between her legs. 

“So you like this good housewife routine, huh?” Her hands are still in the other woman's hair. 

Vanessa bites her lip before replying. 

“I don't know babe.” She extracts Charity's left hand from the side of her head, and guides it under the waistband of her pyjama trousers. “You tell me.”


	3. Chapter 3

“You tell me.”

Charity finds an abundance of wet heat as she slips two fingers between her girlfriend's legs, and decides not to waste any time with teasing her. 

“You're so wet Ness.” She whispers, before biting down on Vanessa's earlobe and pushing her fingers deep inside the other woman. 

The vet's left arm wraps around her neck as she speaks. 

“Take me upstairs then.” She's already breathless. 

Charity pulls her fingers out slowly and pushes back in with slightly more force, causing Vanessa to throw her head back and lean her weight on her right hand, behind her. 

“I'd rather take you here babe.” She practically growls against her neck. The taller woman starts rolling her hips behind each movement of her hand, and curls her fingers to massage the spot she knows so well at this point. The first time she found it was early on into their pre-relationship hookups, and Vanessa had shot so far up in the air that Charity couldn't help but laugh. Since then she had been much more gentle in her approach and she had been rewarded in kind. 

As she continues her movements, the arm around her neck pulls her in for a desperate kiss. With her right hand, she lifts Vanessa's leg and wraps it around her hip. It's not long until the smaller woman is moaning into her mouth, whilst still trying to kiss her. 

Charity brings her down gently, keeping their mouths connected the whole time. Eventually her hand stills and she takes pleasure in the feeling of Vanessa around her fingers, muscles still clenching of their own volition from time to time. 

“You feel so good babe.” She says with heavy breath against her girlfriend's lips. 

Vanessa just hums and puts her other arm around Charity too, seemingly needing something to ground her. Their foreheads connect. 

After a minute, Charity finally slips her fingers from inside Vanessa's pyjamas.

“Upstairs?” She prompts. 

The vet lets out a satisfied sigh and pushes herself up off the table. 

“Upstairs.” She agrees. 

When they get to Vanessa's bed, they fall into it comfortably and tangle up in each other. Kissing deeply. Biting lips. Removing clothes until they are in they're current position. Both are totally naked and the vet is kissing down the centre of Charity's chest as she lightly toys with her folds. 

Without warning, the taller woman rolls them over and lifts her body weight on straightened arms. She rolls her hips down on to Vanessa's hand. In response, the woman below pushes two fingers up, barely inside her. Charity keeps moving her body and watches the response from her girlfriend. 

“Babe.” She forces out through a laboured breath. “Sit up, babe.” 

She moves her own body up off of Vanessa's hand and encourages her to sit up against the headboard. As charity puts a pillow behind her head, a slightly confused look comes over her face. 

“I'm supposed to be…”

The end of Vanessa's sentence catches in her throat as Charity takes the two fingers that had just been on her sex, and licks them. 

“I want you to have a good view.” Her voice is low as she moves her girlfriend's hand back between her legs. Her free hand is gripping the headboard behind Vanessa's head for leverage. She lifts her body up before lowering herself down onto the vet's fingers slowly. Rolling her hips forward and back, Charity continues to ride her girlfriend's fingers as the woman below her watches with an open mouth. 

After a few minutes, the smaller woman ceases to be a passive observer and leans forward, kissing and sucking the skin on Charity's chest. The woman on top throws her head back as she feels Vanessa's fingers curl inside her. Charity is losing herself to the moment and is focusing less on moving her hips but her girlfriend carries on pushing up into her and brings her other hand around to the base of her spine to help guide her. 

Between that and the feeling of Vanessa's mouth on her breasts, she cums soon after. She lets out a heavy breath as the vet slows her pace. 

“I love you.” Before she realises, the words slip out of her mouth. She pulls her head up and finds blue eyes staring at her intensely. “I mean…”

Vanessa pulls her into a kiss, stopping her from finishing whatever she was about to say. Both hands are holding her face. 

“I love you too.” The vet responds, reassuringly and then connects their lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments always appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Vanessa collapses into the booth next to Rhona. 

“Aren't you getting a drink?” The brunette asks as she points at the bar. 

“In a minute.” She responds with a sigh. “I just need to sit down a bit.”

“Been busy?”

“Why is it always when I'm on call?”

“And how was last night?” There's concern in her friend's voice. 

Vanessa can't help the smile that forms involuntarily. 

“Oh, fine. Charity just got Johnny ready for bed and cooked us dinner.” She's playing with the beer mat in front of her. 

Rhona can tell there's something else.  
“And?”

“And, we…” The blonde shrugs. “We spent the night together. What more do you want?”

“She tell you she loves you?”

The beer mat falls out of her grasp. 

“How did you…”

“That stupid grin you've had since you walked in.” Her friend responds matter of factly. 

 

Across the room, Charity emerges from the cellar and spots her girlfriend. 

“Why didn't you tell me Vanessa was here?” She asks Chas. 

“She just got here and I sent you down to change the barrel which is more of a priority than your love life.” Her cousin responds as she pushes a glass against one of the optics. 

“Well, seeing as I'm due a break?” She glances over to the booth to demonstrate her question further. 

“Fine, go.” Chas agrees. “Not like I'll be able to get you to do much with her here anyway. “

Charity delivers a quick kiss on her cheek in thanks and sets about pouring Vanessa a pint. She places it in front of the smaller woman and sits down without announcement. Rhona finishes talking about whatever practice related topic they had been engrossed in and meets Charity's eye. 

“Didn't know the Woolpack offered table service these days.”

“Only for those who are sleeping with the owners.” She sits back and folds her arms, not breaking eye contact. “I mean, I'm pretty occupied with this one,” She tilts her head in Vanessa's direction, “But I'm sure you could spice up Chas’s love life. Although I guess that might be a bit awkward with your shared history with Paddy.” She feels her girlfriend's eyes on her. “Mind you, might be his dream come true, huh.” 

A hand squeezes her thigh. 

“Ignore her.” Vanessa is talking to the brunette but looking at her. “After being so soft last night, she's got to spit fire at someone or she'll feel unbalanced.” It's then that Charity finally catches the vet's eye. “Thanks for the pint babe.” 

Charity shrugs nonchalantly. 

“It's alright.”

Chas approaches the table as she wanders around, collecting glasses. 

“Hey, I almost forgot, Marlon asked how dinner went last night?” There's confusion in her voice. 

“Thought you’d cooked,” Vanessa says. 

“I did.” The taller woman defends. “I just got the recipe from Marlon.”

“You cooked?” Chas exclaims. “Without being begged or bribed?” 

“Yes.” She answers through gritted teeth. 

“God, you have gone soft.”

“You don't know the half of it.” Rhona chimes in. 

Charity immediately realises what she's referring to and glares at her girlfriend. 

“You said that was between us.”

“She guessed.” Vanessa explains with apologetic eyes. Her hand tightens its grip on her leg. 

“What have I missed?” Her cousin wonders aloud. 

Charity dips her head and waves her hand in Chas’s direction. Vanessa gets the hint. 

“She told me she loved me last night.”

The woman standing over them lets out what is almost a squeal and it prompts a groan to fall from her own lips. The vet kisses her on the cheek and she feels herself smile. 

“Yeah, well.” She lifts her head. “It's not as mad as her saying it back is it?”

“Oh, I don't know.” Chas smiles before turning serious. “Just know that if you hurt her…”

Charity interrupts. 

“I know. I'd be an idiot and… “

“No you daft cow!” She interrupts back. “I'm talking to Vanessa.”

“Oh.”

“You are my cousin Charity. I do want you to be happy.”

“Right, well, thanks.” She feels the blush rise in her cheeks. “You know we've got customers that need serving.” She points to the bar. 

When Chas leaves, she turns to Rhona. 

“You going to give me the ‘if you hurt her speech’?”

The brunette laughs. 

“Have you met Ness? It's not me you'd have to worry about.”

Vanessa smiles innocently at her over the rim of her glass as she takes a sip of her pint. 

“I know.” Charity puts her arm around her girlfriend. “She's small but she's deceptively tough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Always love reading comments.


	5. Chapter 5

As she hands the change over to her last customer, Charity looks up to find her girlfriend entering the pub. 

Vanessa had left after her drink earlier and the pair had hardly been able to text each other since. 

“Hey.” The vet greets her, leaning on the bar. 

“Hey, long time no see.” She responds and meets Vanessa over the surface for a quick kiss. “Pint?”

“Please.” Before Charity can step back and grab a glass, the smaller woman grabs the lapel of her jacket and pulls her back in for another kiss. 

“So, is Johnny still with Tracey?”

“Yeah, I've been getting some stuff done around the house. The place has been a mess lately.”

“Hope you're not blaming me.” Charity pouts as she hands over the drink. 

“Well I have been more busy than usual haven't I?” The vet lifts her eyebrows. 

“I am quite distracting.” She smiles back and leans forward onto the top of the bar again. 

The sound of a throat being cleared gets their attention and she turns to find Cain stood next to Debbie a little further down. 

“When you're done flirting.” He lifts his empty glass. 

“Alright.” She responds simply and looks back at her girlfriend. “So have we got the night to ourselves or have you got to pick him up later.”

“I'm picking him up in a bit. Doesn't mean we can't have fun though does it?” Vanessa whispers conspiratorially. 

“Not if last night was anything to go by.”

“Hey!” Cain interrupts them again. 

“You said when I was done flirting.” Charity snaps back. “I'm not there yet.”

A hand squeezes hers. 

“Go babe. I'll wait.”

The taller woman walks over and takes the glass from his hand. 

“It won't last.” He says loud enough for Vanessa to hear. 

“Why not?” The vet asks, stepping closer to them. 

“You're not her type.” Cain replies as he takes a sip of the drink begrudgingly put in front of him. 

“What do you mean by that?” Charity asks, annoyed. 

“I think he means, she's a bit too nice for you ain't she Mum.” Debbie adds. 

“Excuse you!” Vanessa tries to interject. 

“How about the pair of you focus on your own lives, yeah.” The woman behind the bar yells. 

None of them notice Chas’ entrance. 

“Come on Mum. It was barely a year ago you were robbing fifty grand from Chrissie’s account.”

“For Jack and Sarah.” She points angrily as she talks. 

“You did what?” Her girlfriend asks in disbelief. 

“You ever find that missing tranquilizer gun?” Cain sticks the knife in. 

“That was you?”

“Ness?”

She doesn't get a chance to explain though as she watches the other woman walk out of the Woolpack. Without acknowledging the other two, Charity chases after her. 

Chas storms over to them. 

“What is wrong with you two. Do you want her to go back to being miserable? Right, cause our Charity is in a relationship with someone for no other reason than she is happy. Charity. When was the last time that happened?”

She walks off when she is satisfied that she's told them off enough. 

Meanwhile, outside, Charity is chasing the vet down the street. 

“Wait babe. Please.” Vanessa stops but doesn't turn around. The taller woman takes a breath as she manages to take her girlfriend's hand. “It's not how it sounds.”

Vanessa turns to face her. 

“So you didn't steal £50,000 from Chrissie White?”

“Okay. Yeah I did.” The hand is pulled out of hers. “But only because Debbie had gotten in trouble with a really bad guy alright, and he'd taken the kids so I had to get that money.”

“Took the kids?” 

“Yes. My grandkids. And it's all in the past, yeah. So, it's alright.” She didn't know if it was alright. Her voice betrayed her fear. 

“And the gun?” Vanessa took a step towards her, softening her posture. 

“It was a back up plan. In case I had trouble at the bank.” She looked at her feet. 

“So you've still got it?”

“Yeah, well, sort of.”

“How do you mean?”

Charity rolls her eyes and huffs. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. 

“Charity.” Her girlfriend's tone made it clear that she had to answer. 

“I might have accidentally… shot myself with it.” She's still staring at the ground. 

Suddenly she hears a small giggle. 

“You did what?”

“Alright.” Charity meets her eye and gently holds Vanessa's arms. “Are we okay?”

The vet turns serious again. 

“Charity, I don't want you to go back to prison again.”

“I'm not planning on going back.” She tries to reassure. 

“But you can't promise me that you won't pull a stunt like that again.” It's not a question. 

She tightens her grip on Vanessa's arms, pleading with her to understand. 

“Okay, look. A while back I would have made that promise yeah. But it would have been bullshit and you deserve more than that.” She throws her hands up in the air. “If that's not good enough then I understand but I'm not going to lie to you Ness.”

“What about for some stupid reason? Like easy money, or petty revenge, or a cheap thrill? Can you at least say you won't do that crap again for that?” 

She takes the smaller woman's face in her hands and nods, before chancing a small kiss. Vanessa allows it briefly. 

“Can you?” The vet asks with pleading eyes. 

“Yes.” She states clearly. 

“Because, you know.” Her girlfriend's hands come up to join hers. “You do have security with me, as well as all the other stuff. You don't need all that crap anymore.”

Charity smiles at her. 

“I know babe.” She nods earnestly. 

With a deep sigh, Vanessa reconnects their mouths and she allows herself to melt into it. 

“I guess I can't ever ask you not to do that kind of thing for your family, right. I mean it's what you guys do.” 

She wraps her arms around the smaller woman. 

“Yeah, and they might have gone about it like dicks but, those two were just testing you.” When Vanessa gives her a confused look she continues to explain. “To see if you could handle it in case of future Dingle family drama. You know there's bound to be some soon.” She shrugs. 

“I don't want part of anything dodgy.” Her girlfriend states. 

“Noted.” Charity whispers, leaning in for another kiss. “Come back to the pub, yeah? I'll make them buy you a fresh pint to make up for it.”

“I need to get Johnny.”

“Bring him back too. He can sleep in Moses’s room.” She holds her a little tighter in encouragement and smiles as she feels Vanessa relax in agreement. 

“Alright.” She smiles back and closes the distance between them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think


	6. Chapter 6

Charity makes her way downstairs, stretching the night out of her joints. She pulls her robe a little tighter as she rounds the corner and takes in the image of her two sons in Vanessa's kitchen. 

Moses is sat at the table with Johnny, while Noah stands next to her girlfriend at the cooker. 

“Hi.” She says with a smile. 

Vanessa turns with the frying pan in her hand. 

“Hey. Want a pancake? We just made another one.”

Before she can answer, Noah speaks. 

“You have that one Ness, you haven't had one yet. I'll make Mum's.” 

With a raise of her eyebrows she communicates her surprise to Vanessa, who is taking a seat. She walks over and pours them both a coffee from the French press. 

“I didn't know you were planning on staying here last night, till you text.” She says to her son as she she sits down too. 

“It's alright ain't it.” He replies. “I mean, I've stayed over before and you were coming here after the pub.”

“Yeah, no. Of course it's fine. I'm glad everyone is getting along.” She turns to Vanessa, who nods her head in agreement, and then back to Noah as he puts a plate down in front of her. “Thanks babe.” She kisses him on the cheek and he shakes it off. 

“Ness helped me with my biology homework anyway.”

“Oh.” Charity looks to the vet again as she takes a bite of her breakfast. “Ness did, did she?” She puts extra emphasis on the word Ness. 

“Well I'm not gonna call her Dad, am I?” He shrugs. 

Vanessa chokes slightly on her coffee and she has to laugh. 

“No I guess that would be odd.” She agrees.   
“Want another one?” Noah asks the vet. 

“Please.” She smiles at him then faces back towards Charity as he goes about making her another pancake. 

“I never even heard you come in last night. I was so exhausted.”

“It's alright.” The taller woman reaches for her hand. “You've been looking after my kids after all.”

Vanessa glances at their joined hands and pulls Charity's closer to her face. She was hoping her girlfriend wouldn't notice the abrasion on her knuckles. 

“What happened?”

“There was just a problem with a punter.” She takes her hand back. “I dealt with it. Don't worry.”

Vanessa tilts her head in question but Noah distracts her by putting another pancake down on her plate. 

Just at that moment there is a knock at the door. Charity goes to open it as she gestures to her son that she wants another pancake herself. 

“Morning.” Ross nods when she opens the door. 

“Hey.” She replies as she lets him in. 

Moses runs towards him immediately and he takes his son into his arms. 

“Alright Champ.”

“Well.” She kisses the toddler's cheek. “Be good. Don't get him into too much trouble.”

“He'll be fine.” Ross says. 

“I was talking to you.”

He glares at her. “Hilarious.”

“Babe.” Vanessa calls over her shoulder. “Your food's ready.”

“How domestic. What did she do to tame you?”

“Oh you know.” She shrugs. “Just gives me the best orgasms of my life.” Charity whispers. 

“Charity!” He covers Moses’ ears. “Let's get you out of here.” He waves at the room and leaves them to it. 

She sits back down as Vanessa pulls Johnny onto her lap and Noah serves himself up one final pancake. 

“So is he getting an A on this homework then?”

“Oh, I'm making no promises.” Her girlfriend distracts her son from the fact that his playmate just left, with a small toy dinosaur. “It was about plants and I haven't done that stuff since I was practically a kid myself.”

“Well then, what's the point of you?” She jokes. 

Vanessa narrows her eyes. 

There's another knock at the door but this time, the person lets themselves in. They look up to find Tracy storming in. 

“What the hell happened?” She yells. 

“What the hell, what?” The vet asks. 

Charity takes Johnny off of her girlfriend and passes him to Noah. 

“Take him upstairs will you?” 

“What?” He protests. 

“We've got to talk, yeah. So go please.”

Once they are upstairs, Vanessa asks again. 

“What's going on?”

“Well,” She starts but Tracy talks on top of her. 

“Phill.” 

“What about him?”

“He was in the Woolpack last night apparently.”

Charity watches as her girlfriend's eyes go wide. 

“Your hand!” 

“Alright. Look. Yes, he showed up.”

“And?” She pushes. 

“And she punched him.” Tracy confirms. 

“He came in and started running his mouth off. When I asked him to shut up, he refused, so I made it clear that the little creep wasn't welcome in my pub, okay!” She yelled before calming down slightly. “He should be in prison. It's not my fault the police round here are so shit.”

Tracy sits down heavily onto the sofa and buries her head in her hands. 

“When is this going to be over?” She groans. 

Vanessa moves to sit next to her and rubs circles on her back. 

“People will move on soon enough.” She soothes. 

“No they won't.” Charity whispers, more to herself than to anyone in the room but they heard. “Come on. How much of my history do you know about?”

The pair of them drop their heads. She moves to sit on the coffee table, opposite Tracy. 

“It'll be the first thing they throw at you, for the rest of your life. Every fight or misunderstanding, it will be in their back pocket ready to be thrown in your face.”

“Why are you telling me this?” She looks at her with sad eyes. 

“They judge us so much for what we sold but they don't judge them half as much for paying for it.” Charity grits her teeth and takes a deep breath. She can't bare to meet Vanessa's eyes. “But, you are going to be okay. You know why? Because you are tough. You've got to be, to have done that work. All you've got to do now is look people in the eye and you don't need to be anywhere near as tough, to do that.” Tracy gives her a half hearted nod. “Do you know why they hate us so much? Everyone has that part of themselves, deep down somewhere dark inside. The survival instinct that we had to tap into in order to do what we did, and it terrifies people. They have no idea what people are truly capable of but we do.”

Tracy rubs her eyes. 

“Do you remember the first time?” She asks with a small voice. 

Charity nods. 

“Hard to forget. I was barely fourteen.”

“Fourteen?” It was the first time Vanessa had spoken in a while and her voice sounded strange in the room. 

“Yeah, almost.” Charity turned to her briefly, before looking back at her sister. “My parents kicked me out after I had Debbie.”

“You were on the streets?” Tracy asked. 

“Yeah. I was desperate and starving.” She swallowed hard. “He offered me food.” She shrugs. 

“I had to get blind drunk.” Tracy reveals. 

“Yeah that helped. Had to be careful though.”

“Too messed up and they'd push it.” 

“Some were willing to pay more.”

“I only did that once.” Tracy shakes her head. 

“Pay more for what?” The vet's tone showed that she had some idea. 

When the woman in front of her didn't answer, Charity spoke instead. 

“They'd give you extra money if you let them get a bit rough.” She stares up at the ceiling. “Beat you up a bit.”

She feels Vanessa's hand on hers. 

“And you did that?” There's no judgement in her girlfriend's voice, for either of them. She just sounds sad. 

“An extra twenty quid when you've got no food and no bed.” She pauses when the hand squeezes hers and pulls down to look at Vanessa. “It usually seemed worth it.”

“I thought I'd left all of that behind me.” Tracy sounds ds sorrowful. 

“You have.” Charity states. “Whatever people say, it doesn't change who you are.” She pulls her hand out of her girlfriend's grasp and holds Tracy’s. “And if you can't handle what folk are saying, then send them to me. I bet I've heard worse.” She tries for a smile. 

The woman in front of her nods. 

“I should get back. I left Dad in charge of the olive bar.” She stands and so does Vanessa, pulling her into a hug. “I'm sorry I interrupted your morning.”

“It's alright.” The vet insists and walks with her to the door. 

“Thanks Charity.” She says before leaving. 

Charity just waves and moves to sit on the sofa herself. When the door closes, she dare not look at the other woman and so closes her eyes heavily. The cushion next to her shifts as Vanessa falls onto it. 

The next thing she knows, two arms wrap her up and pull her towards her girlfriend's warm body. 

“I love you.” Is whispered into her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too angsty?
> 
> An emotional conversation or fluff next?
> 
> Let me know what you think?


	7. Chapter 7

Neither speaks.

She buries her head into Vanessa's neck and allows herself the luxury of the comfort. After a few minutes, Charity hears footsteps coming down the stairs and sits up. She wipes her eyes and straightens her hair as Noah comes back into the room, holding Johnny.

“Hey.” She greets. Vanessa rubs soft circles on her back.

He gives her a look of understanding before speaking.

“Can you take him back now? I need to shower. I told Jacob I'd meet him.”

“Alright, yeah.” She smiles as best as she can and holds out her arms to take Johnny.

“I'll go get you a towel.” Her girlfriend says as she stands and goes upstairs.

“Are you sure it's okay?” Her son asks. “I told you, I've done my homework.”

“Yeah,” She bounces the toddler on her lap. “You deserve some fun don't you. I mean, getting all your homework done on a Friday night. It's hard to believe you're my son.”

“Are you alright?” Noah asks cautiously.

“Yeah babe, I'm fine.”

“Well what were you talking about because you seem upset.”

She smiles genuinely at him for his kindness.

“It was nothing you need to worry about. I promise. Now go on. Get your shower.”,

He turns and leaves reluctantly.

She spots Vanessa at the bottom of the stairs and puts Johnny on the floor. Nervously, she runs her hand through her hair again as she stands and walk towards her.

“I should get ready too. The pub needs opening and Chas will kill me if I'm late.” Charity tries to excuse herself.

Before she can get passed, Vanessa grabs a hold of her arm.

“Are you okay?”

“Why do people keep asking me that?” She huffs.

The other woman pulls her closer and kisses her cheek.

“Because we care about you.” She states.

Charity glances up at her and back to her feet.

“I'm alright.”

She quickly kisses Vanessa on the lips and runs upstairs.

She goes about her day as best she can and tries not to think about what had happened this morning.

She's wiping down the bar, a few hours later, when her cousin steps up to her.

“How's your hand?”

“It's fine.” She replies.

“Little scumbag deserved it.” Chas practically spits.

“Well, I'm not so sure Tracy appreciated all the attention.” She sees the question on her face. "She came round this morning to find out what had happened.” She takes a deep breath. “Ended up talking about it. You know, our shared experiences.” She realises she's scrubbing the same spot on the bar, over and over.

“Was Vanessa there?” Charity closes her eyes and nods. A hand lands on her shoulder. “Well that explains the look you've had on your face all day. It's not going to change anything Charity.”

“Of course it will.” She throws down the cloth in frustration. “It always does.”

“Well she seems fine to me.” Chas points her attention to the door just as Vanessa walks in with her son in her arms.

“Hey.” Her girlfriend smiles and meets her at the end of the bar.

“What are you two doing here?” She tries to keep her voice level.

“Well, we need lunch before we meet my dad at the park and this one hasn't shut up about you since you left, so…” Vanessa sits Johnny down into a booth.

“I'll get you a menu.”

“Get yourself one too babe.” She calls across the room.

“You're going to get me in trouble with Chas.” Charity tries to protest, walking back with the menus and placing them on the table.

The vet gently places her hands onto Charity's chest and dips them under the lapels of her jacket.

“Since when do you care about getting in trouble?” She shifts her head to force eye contact. “We're alright, yeah?”

The taller woman wraps her arms around her girlfriend, almost instinctively.

“You don't want to talk about it?” She glances at the boy sat nearby, and back to Vanessa. “About this morning.”

“Of course I do.” Her thumbs run along Charity's jawline. Back and forth. “I can't imagine what it was like and it obviously affected you in so many ways but, Charity, I'm never going to try and force you to do something you don't want to do. Especially talk about something so personal.”

There's a moment of quiet and the taller woman focuses on the feeling of Vanessa's strong hands cradling her head.

Suddenly Johnny punctures the space.

“Charity!” He yells, banging his hands on the table.

“So, what do you say to a lunch date with your biggest fan?” She smiles. “And me, obviously.”

Charity leans forward and kisses the other woman.

“Oh put her down, will you!” Chas exclaims from somewhere behind the bar. They don't separate. “Guess you'll be going on your break now then.” She carries on, knowing there will be no debate.

“You don't mind do you?” Vanessa answers as she guides Charity to sit down and approaches the bar.

Chas shakes her head and sighs, looking at her cousin.

“It's good to see her happy.” She stops and her tone grows less sincere. “Now if you could get her to start pulling her weight a bit more round here, I'll love you forever.”

“I'm not a miracle worker.” Vanessa responds.

“Hey!” The woman in question looks over at them. “I can hear you, you know.”

Chas watches as Charity helps Johnny colour in something in the activity book, that he has pulled out of his little backpack.

“What was that about not pulling off miracles?”

“Oh, well,” The vet explains. “He's totally enamoured with her.”

They both stand at the bar and watch as Charity and Johnny whisper to one another as if making secret plans and then high five.  
“He's not the only one by the looks of things.” The landlady raises her eyebrows.

Vanessa meets her challenge and shrugs.

“No arguments here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking forward to your comments


	8. Chapter 8

Vanessa's kitchen feels warm compared to the street she has just come in from. Her girlfriend is standing at the sink, draining something from a saucepan. She puts the keys down on the table, the noise seems to get the other woman's attention. 

“Hi, babe.” She says over her shoulder as she goes about finishing the dinner. 

“So, Chas gave me the night off, even though it's a Saturday.” Charity starts speaking as she wraps her arms around Vanessa's waist. “You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?” She whispers before kissing behind her ear. 

The other woman leans back into her, seemingly unconsciously. 

“Well, I might of asked really nicely.”

“Not too nicely I hope.” She kisses the vet’s neck again. Vanessa turns around and starts playing with the hair at the top of her neck. 

“I just thought we could have a quiet night in.” 

“Where's Johnny?” She doesn't let the other woman reply before connecting their mouths, if only for a brief kiss. 

“He's with my Dad.”

There's a calm moment. She moves her hands to Vanessa's hips and squeezes slightly. 

“You're sure this is nothing to do with this morning and Tracy?” 

“Babe.” The shorter woman moves her hands to her chest. “I meant what I said earlier. Nothing happens unless it's on your terms.” She kisses Charity again. 

“So what's all this about then?” She nods her head at the meal her girlfriend has prepared. 

“This is an average night, so boring it'll make your skin crawl.” Vanessa smiles as she clutches her top. “Dinner and a glass of wine in front of the tele. We'll probably be asleep by ten.”

“Speak for yourself babe. I've got more stamina.” Charity steps back and allows her to dish out the food. “Wine in the fridge?”

“Yeah. Can you pour us some?” She retrieves a couple of glasses from a cupboard just as the smaller woman puts the pan into soak. “It's a present from Tracy.”

“What, the wine?”

“Yeah. Thank you for dealing with that awful bloke last night.” She explains as they move to the sofa. 

“No need to thank me. I enjoyed smacking that disgusting grin off his face.” Charity explains, taking her bowl from her girlfriend.   
“Well, I'm grateful too you know.” She avoids the vet's eyes. “For talking to her how you did and letting her know she's got an ally. It means a lot.”

“Good to know it got me in your good books.” She deflects before grabbing the remote. “So what are we watching for our boring night in?”

They finish their food and Vanessa takes the last sip of wine from her glass. She would get up for a refill but she doesn't want to disturb the other woman.

Somehow, they've shifted so Vanessa is leaning against the armrest, slumped down against a scatter cushion. Charity meanwhile is lying down between her legs, and using her chest as a pillow. 

The woman on top runs her hand down Vanessa's shirt and starts playing absentmindedly with the hem. 

“I thought you had more stamina.”

She hums and concentrates for a second on trying to decipher the patterns being drawn delicately on her back. 

“You're comfortable.”

“Thanks.” The vet puts her glass down onto the floor. “Just what every girl wants to hear.”

“I mean this is comfortable.” She lifts her head up and rests it on her hand. 

The hand not on her back comes to her face and strokes across her cheek. 

“You should be comfortable Charity. This whole relationship thing only works if we can be open with each other.”

“Vulnerable you mean?” Her voice is small. 

“I was gonna say unguarded, but yeah.”

“I'm not very good at that.”

“Really?” The woman below her responds sarcastically. “I had no idea.”

She leans down and kisses her slowly. It's gentle at first until the hand on her face moves into her hair. She reacts by brushing her lover's lips with her tongue and the kiss soon deepens. 

There's a question playing on her mind and Charity breaks away. 

“It's never normally this easy for me you know. This is a lot less guarded than I normally am. You do realise that?”

The look on Vanessa's face answers her, but still she speaks. 

“I know… I know and this is enough for me remember. “

Charity can feel herself smile wide as she leans down to kiss her again. After a couple of minutes of making out like horny teenagers, she sits up and lifts her leg over her girlfriend's thigh. 

The sight of the other woman's chest rising and falling so heavily causes her to bite her bottom lip. 

“Do you mind if we make tonight a little less… “ She starts pulling her shirt over her head. “Boring?” She finishes just before the garment goes over her head. 

To answer, the smaller woman sits up to meet her and before the top is dropped to the floor, lips are kissing just beneath her bra. Arms wrap around her as Vanessa's mouth moves up to her breasts. Skilled fingers are on the clasp and pulling the item down of off her shoulders. 

Charity reaches to take off her girlfriend's shirt too. When hands start trying to undo the button at the top of her trousers, she takes them and pins them down onto the couch next to her lover's head. Hips beneath hers roll up in response and she kisses down Vanessa's neck and chest. 

Releasing her hands, Charity moves to kneel on the floor and pulls the other woman towards her. Her mouth moves all over the vet's hips as she removes her jeans and underwear in one go. She feels fingers dig into her scalp when her lips touch Vanessa. Satisfied moans drift from over her head as she moves her tongue down from her girlfriend's clit, and inside her. 

Charity places a kiss on the bundle of nerves before meeting the other woman's eye with a devilish smirk. 

She stands suddenly, leaving her an aroused mess on the sofa, and walks towards the stairs. 

“What are… What are you doing?” Vanessa splutters. 

She looks back over her shoulder and pulls down the zipper on her trousers. 

“I'm going to bed.” She shrugs innocently and then allows her clothes to fall to the floor. “You coming?”


	9. Chapter 9

Her fingers run through Vanessa's hair. They're lying naked together in the bed. 

Her girlfriend lifts her head from where it has been resting on her chest. 

“Your hearts racing.” She leans back down and kisses between her breasts. 

“You do remember what we were doing a few minutes ago babe?” Charity smiles. 

The vet moves onto her side and starts tracing patterns on the taller woman's bicep.   
“It scares you, doesn't it?” Vanessa's voice is quiet, creating a bubble for them. 

“How good our sex life is?” She uses her classic deflection technique. “It's more of a surprise than anything.” She jokes and closes her eyes. 

Lips are on her collarbone and move up her neck until they reach her right ear. 

“It scares you how easy this is, I mean.”

Charity wraps her arms around the other woman. 

“I just don't want to mess this up.”

“Then don't.”

She laughs. “Well I didn't think about that.” When a hand reaches up to hold her face she opens her eyes and meets Vanessa's “ I've always gone with people I thought could give me security. I mean if I was with a rich bloke then I wasn't going to end up on the streets again was I?” The vet strokes her thumb across her cheek. “And if not that, then I stuck with what was familiar or things I could control and predict.”

“I'm none of those things I'm afraid.” The smaller woman smiles knowingly at her. 

“I'm aware.” Charity smiles back. “But you feel real. More real than anything I've ever had before.” She runs her hand up and down Vanessa's back, as if reassuring herself that this woman is really there. “I just don't know how it happened. Doesn't it kind of feel like we sorta fell into this?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“And if we fell into this then,”

“We can just as easily fall out.” The vet finishes her sentence. 

The taller woman nods and looks to the corner of the room. 

“I like how I feel when I'm with you.”

Vanessa kisses her neck again and reaches for the hand not stroking her back. 

“Good.”

“I'm just not sure I know how to handle it.”

“Hey, look at me.” She does as she's told. “You deserve to feel safe Charity, and you deserve some happiness.”

“There are a few people round here that would disagree with you.” 

“I know. I used to be one of them.” She admits before kissing her on the lips in comfort. “What you said to Tracy earlier. You said about that survival instinct and that dark place inside you had to tap into in order to keep going. Well, if you were fourteen when you first had to… Had to do that. If most of your interactions with other people were… “

“Selling my body for sex?”

“Being abused.” Charity can't keep eye contact anymore and the hand hold hers tightens its grip. “It must be really hard to turn that instinct off. I can't imagine. And I'm not saying that I understand everything you've ever done. I just mean, if your first assumption is that people are going to hurt you, I get why you hit them harder before they get a chance.”

Charity doesn't know when she started crying but she can feel the tears roll down her cheeks. 

Vanessa continues. 

“I hate them for what they did.”

She drops her girlfriend's hand to wipe her own face. 

“What, the blokes?” She asks. 

“No. Well. The ones who hurt you over the years, yeah of course.” She kisses where the tears just were. “I mean your parents.”

Charity snaps her eyes back. 

“You were so young. I mean you were Noah’s age. That's what I keep thinking.”

“Ness.” She takes the woman's face in her hands and gives her an imploring look. “I don't want to…”

“I was helping him with his homework last night. That's what you should have been doing. Or skiving off and trying to get out of it.” Vanessa is getting visibly upset. “Not that.”

“Hey.” She pulls her down into a kiss. “I'm okay.” She kisses her again. “I mean, I was okay and I had to get there by myself. Now I'm even better. I realised at some point that I deserve some support, not to be shamed for it.” The smaller woman nods into her hands. “I let enough people shame me for it over the years.”

“I would never…”

“I know.” Charity whispers. “I love you.”

“I know.” Her girlfriend says like it's their secret. “You haven't said it since that first time.”

“I'm not great…”

Vanessa interrupts with a kiss. 

“But I know you do.” Her face brightens as a smile breaks across it. “I love you too.” They kiss again. “And you can tell me anything babe. Did you think I was going to react badly?” She's serious. 

Charity shakes her head. 

“I just thought… We wouldn't be the same. We wouldn't be like this anymore. It's always changed things in the past.” She shrugs, like it doesn't bother her. “Most people can't handle the details.”

“I'm not most people.” The vet responds simply. 

“I know.” She runs her hands back down Vanessa's back. “Trust me, you are one of a kind.”

She pulls her girlfriend back on top of her fully and places kisses all along her neck, down to her collar bone and across to her shoulder. The vet slips a leg between hers and is unable to stop the moan that follows. A strong hand glides down her thigh and under her knee, pulling it up just as hips roll forward and push against hers. She pulls Vanessa's face into a slow kiss. 

“I love you.” Charity repeats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always great. Let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Charity sits at the kitchen table, sipping on her coffee. Vanessa runs down the stairs and groans. 

“Why’d you have to be so distracting?”

“What, what did I do?” She smirks, knowing exactly what her girlfriend is referring to. 

“If you hadn't gotten in the shower with me I'd have seen those calls from Rhona.” She sounds exasperated. 

“Well you weren't complaining at the time.” Charity rebuts as she watches the other woman hurriedly throw things into her bag. “Oh come on babe. Get yourself a brew.”

“I can't. I'm already late.”

There's a knock on the door and before either move, Frank comes in holding Johnny. 

“Oh Dad. I'm sorry. I was about to call you. Can you watch him a little longer? I've got to go on a call out.”

“I'm sorry darling. I've said I'd cover a shift at the Olive Bar.” He apologises. “I don't think Tracy and David are doing well right now.”

Vanessa nods and sighs. 

“Well, what am I going to do?”

“Oh,” Charity gets their attention. “Give him here. He can come to the pub with me.” 

The smaller woman puts her bag on her shoulder and walks over to her, smiling. 

“Thanks.” She kisses her on the cheek and leaves, kissing her son on the way. 

Charity opens her arms and lifts her eyebrows but Frank doesn't move. 

“Look.” She huffs and drops her hands onto her legs, squaring up to him. “You might not trust me, but Ness clearly does.” 

He relents and passes the boy over, who happily wraps his arms around her neck. 

“Hi kid.” She greets, cheerily. “Shall we go get you a pint?”

The older man gives her an unimpressed look. 

“I'm joking.” She carries on. “He's not like his mother, he can handle the hard stuff. Ain't that right?” She whispers loud enough for Frank to hear. 

“Glad, you're taking this seriously.”

“Thought you had work?”

He turns and leaves. 

 

Vanessa was called out on another two cases after the first one and she'd ended up watching her grandchildren too so that Debbie could go into town. 

She has just finished putting away the load of clean glasses from the dishwasher when her daughter returns. 

“Hey, are the kids alright?”

“Yeah. Just call this place Charity Dingle's daycare today. We've got my kids, we've got your kids,”

Suddenly, Johnny runs out of the back room and she has to be quick to catch him. 

“Vanessa's kid?” Debbie finishes. 

“She's had to go into work.” Charity explains. 

Noah appears at the doorway. 

“Sorry, I only went upstairs for a second. Sarah was supposed to watch him.”

“Well, no harm done.”

“No harm done where?” 

They all turn to find Vanessa at the door, holding it open for Ross to walk in carrying Moses. 

“Oh, this one just tried to make a break for it.” She smiles. 

“Smart kid.” Ross jokes, approaching the bar. “You should do the same.” He says to the vet. 

“Like I haven't heard that one before.” She replies. “Give me him then. Seeing as she's got mine.”

Ross hands the boy over and Vanessa carries him around behind the bar. It's then that Charity spots the bag of groceries in her girlfriend's hand. 

“What's in the bag?”

“I thought I'd cook dinner, for everyone.” She says to Debbie on her way passed. “You and the kids as well if you want.”

Debbie smiles back. 

“Yeah okay. Beats me having to make tea don't it.”

“Er, hold on.” Charity stands between the vet and the backroom. “What's all this about?”

“Well, I thought we could have dinner together and I wanted to thank you for watching him all day.” She nods her head towards Johnny and smiles wide at him. “Hello there.”

“You don't need to thank me babe.” She protests. 

“Do you not like my cooking or something?”

She smiles and shakes her head as she closes the distance between them. After a brief kiss she replies. 

“You've just been working all day. We could always order a pizza or something.”

Vanessa adjusts Moses on her hip. 

“I want to do this. So let me.”

Charity doesn't get a chance to reply before she moves passed. 

Her daughter walks over to her and takes the toddler from her arms. 

“I'll go and make sure she's alright in the kitchen.”

Charity walks back to serve Ross. 

“Pint?” 

“Yeah, please, step mum of the year.”

She laughs sarcastically as she goes about pouring his pint. 

“Well I'm not the best mum in the world, so maybe step mum is the gig I was made for.”

“You aren't that bad Charity. Moses loves you anyway.” He hands over the exact change. 

She can't help the defensive shrug that follows. 

“How was he?”

“Alright yeah. He was a bit harder to settle than usual.”

“Well, he's probably gotten used to Johnny being there.”

“Course.” She watches him take a sip. “Cute little blended family you've got going on. Very modern.”

“Do you want to be wearing that pint?”

He smirks before turning and settling himself in a booth. 

After forty five minutes of eerie silence from the back room, Charity decides to check everything is okay. She pulls a pint and makes sure Chas is covering the bar. In the back, she finds the kids all sat around watching TV and playing amongst themselves under the watchful eye of Debbie. She places the glass by the stove where Vanessa is working. 

“Aw, thanks babe.” She kisses her cheek. 

“Well we can't have the cook dying of first, can we?”

Noah’s voice travels from the sofa.   
“What about me? She got me to peel all the potatoes.”

“You volunteered!” Vanessa defends. 

“He did actually.” Debbie agrees. “He's been weirdly helpful.”

Charity smiles at her girlfriend.   
“It's Vanessa. She brings it out in people, don't she.” 

“Speaking of which,” The vet says. “You should get back to work so that you can take your break to eat with us.”

“Yes ma’am.” She salutes before turning and leaving the room. 

She gets halfway through the corridor before a voice stops her. 

“Mum.”

Charity turns around and lifts her eyebrows.   
“Look, I never properly apologised for messing with you two the other week- when Dad started winding you up.”

“Yeah you did.” She replies. “I mean, you bought her a pint didn't you and it seems like she's over it.”

“No, I mean I never really apologised to you.”

“Oh.” She is taken aback. 

“It was just a bit of a shock, you know. I mean, she's not your usual type.”

“No I get that.” Charity admits and sighs but doesn't say anything else before being cut off by her daughter. 

“It seems genuine though.”

“It is.” She promises. “Which in itself might be confusing.”

“Well, you can't be after anything, can you.” Debbie says almost dismissively. 

“What, because I'm a single Mum on a vet's salary?” Her tone is one of annoyance.

Neither had noticed the subject of their conversation at the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for the delay in updating. Been a bit all over the place.
> 
> Let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

“Ness.” Charity tries to think of something to say. 

“What?” The vet asks. 

“Look,” Debbie puts her hands up in surrender. “I didn't mean…”

Vanessa interrupts her. 

“It's fine.” She sighs. “I forgot stock cubes. Have you got any?” She changes the subject but it's obvious that the vet is annoyed. 

“Uh, yeah.” Debbie says and leaves them with a sheepish look on her face. 

Charity moves to wrap her arms around the other woman but two hands push gently on her chest. 

“Babe.”

“Its okay.” Vanessa tries to insist. 

“Babe.” Charity repeats. 

The smaller woman places a chaste kiss on her lips. 

“Go back to work. Dinner won't be long.”

Back in the kitchen, Debbie places a small box on the counter top. 

“There you go.” She says with a small smile. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, you know.”

“I know.” Vanessa responds. “You weren't even talking about me really, were you? I mean it was your mum wasn't it?” 

Debbie doesn't respond verbally. She just looks to the floor. 

“She says that she doesn't care what people think about her, and maybe for the most part that's true, but she does care what you think.”

“Well she hasn't always made it easy to see the best in her.”

“No, I know. Trust me.” The vet smiles and rolls her eyes before taking a deep breath. “She's lying by the way.” The two women's eyes meet. “She does want something. The same thing I think she's probably always wanted.” She shrugs. “Just some understanding and a bit of love.”

Debbie smiles again sadly and nods in agreement. 

“And that's what you give her.”

“Look as far as mine and your mum's relationship goes, it's just that. It's ours but all we've ever said is that we'll keep going as long as we are both happy.” Vanessa shrugs again. 

No more is said. Sarah calls for her mother and the vet goes back to cooking as both seem content. 

Dinner itself goes fine. Everyone enjoys their shepherd's pie and the kids provide more than enough conversation. When the question of clearing up is uttered, Charity is suddenly very insistent on needing to get back to work, and leaves the rest of them to squabble. 

She spots Tracy sitting in a booth with a bottle of white wine and a single glass, half empty already. She grabs a glass for herself and joins her. 

“Having a good day then.” Charity says to announce herself and begins pouring the wine. 

Tracy clenches her jaw without taking her eyes away from the spot in the distance.

“You know, Vanessa's made us all dinner. There's some left if you want some.” Still no response. “Or I can get Marlon to knock something up.”

“I knew he was ashamed of me.” Tracy is radiating with anger and it causes Charity to shift in her seat. 

“Then he doesn't deserve you kid.” She fights the urge to put a hand on her shoulder. 

“He cheated on me.”

“You what?”

“He made me feel so dirty for everything. All the while, he was keeping that a secret.” Tracy drinks a large gulp of her wine. 

“When? Who with?”

“Leyla, months ago apparently.”

Before Charity can respond, they are joined by Vanessa, who comes to stand by her girlfriend's side. 

“Hey, I've left Debbie and Sarah with the washing up.” She sees the looks on their faces. “What's up?”

Again, they are interrupted before anyone can speak. Frank rushes over to them. 

“I've just seen David.” He looks flustered as he sits down. “Is it really over between you?”

With nothing but a nod, Tracy continues to drink. 

“What's happened?” Her sister asks. 

“She's better off without him.” Charity 

“Do you have to interfere?” Frank returns with gritted teeth. 

“Charity, maybe you should leave it.” 

She doesn't get a chance to respond to Vanessa. Tracy finally finds her voice again.  
“Hey cheated on me.” It's small, defeated even. 

“Yeah,” Charity starts again, keeping eye contact with the man in front of her. “And even without that fact, he hasn't done right by her through this whole thing, has he?” She turns to her girlfriend. “Last night, the way you responded, isn't that how Tracy should be treated?”. She stands to leave but first does put her hand on the young woman's shoulder, at last offering a reassuring squeeze. 

“Charity,” Vanessa tries but the taller woman waves her off.

“Save it. I'd hate to interfere.” She brushes past and goes back to work. 

The vet, deflated, takes the spot she had just occupied. 

“She was just being supportive Ness.”

Frank huffs and earns a glare from his oldest. 

“I don't trust her.” He shrugs. 

“No, you've made that clear.” He crosses his arms and she squares up to him. “You need to get over it. We're together Dad and you said you would be happy as long as I was.”

“We said we were going to avoid her.”

“Yeah well, I couldn't. And you know what, I'm glad I didn't.” She wraps her arm around Tracy. “So tell us what happened and let's figure out what we're going to do.”

“Shouldn't you go smooth things over with her?” Her sister asks. 

“It's best to give her five, let her calm down.”

Tracy starts telling them about her conversation with David and Vanessa gets so wrapped up in it, that she loses track of time. It's only when Frank receives a text from Megan that she sees how long they have been talking. 

 

“Oh, crap.” She looks up from her watch. “Do you want to stay at mine, because I'm probably staying here.”

“Probably?” Tracy slurs. 

“I need to check it's okay.”

“Oh yeah!” She says a little too loudly. “Go talk to Charity. I'll go back to yours. Its fine.”

“And you'll drink a ton of water, right?” 

“I'll get her back and make sure she does.” Frank starts putting on his jacket. 

“The spare bed needs making.” Vanessa informs him as she helps her sister into her coat. “I had to strip it because Noah stayed over.”

“Sofas fine.” Tracy smiles but she can see how sad her eyes have become. 

“I'll make the bed.” Frank says as she pulls her into a hug. 

Once they have left, she goes about finding her girlfriend. She deduces that Charity must be in the cellar and makes her way down. The other woman has just finished changing a barrel and turns to leave. She is obviously surprised by Vanessa's presence but quickly changes her face back to moody and offended. 

She keeps a distance. 

“I need to get Johnny ready for bed.”

“Okay, what you telling me for?” Charity is giving her nothing. 

“If we're staying here then we need to put Moses down too. He'll be disturbed else.”

There's a raise of eyebrows. 

“So you're staying here?” She takes a step closer but puts her hands on her hips in some small act of defiance. 

“If you want us to?” Vanessa manages to make her voice lighter than usual. Playful. 

Charity takes another step closer with the same pose but drops her head. They are two feet apart now. 

“I'd hate to get too involved.” There it is, pain betrayed in a slight crack. “You know, interfere.”

It's now that Vanessa closes the gap and cradles her girlfriend's face in her hands. She forces Charity to look her in the eye. 

“I'm sorry.” Her eyes are pleading and Charity finally drops her hands. Fingers begin playing with the hem of her shirt. “I'm sorry.” She repeats purposefully. “I told my Dad to get over it.”

“I get why he isn't over the moon about this. ” Charity concedes and shifts her gaze somewhere over her shoulder. 

“I don't care. I care about you.” She slides her hands down onto her girlfriend's shoulders and squeezes until green eyes are on hers again. “Thank you for watching after Tracy.”

Charity rolls her eyes as if to say that it's nothing, and pulls her closer. 

“So are we getting the boys ready for bed then?”

She gets a smile in return and suddenly, lips are on hers and she's pushed back into one of the shelving units. 

“They can stay up a few more minutes babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated. Looking forward to seeing what you have to say.


	12. Chapter 12

Charity is just done brushing her hair when Vanessa comes in and shuts the door behind her. She puts the brush down and turns in the bed to greet her. 

“You stealing my pyjamas again?” She says with fake annoyance when she notices the shorts and T-shirt. 

“Oh, don't pretend you don't love it.” The vet challenges as she gets under the covers too. 

“I prefer when you don't wear anything here babe.” She responds, placing her left hand on her girlfriend's hip. They're lying facing each other with their heads resting on opposite hands. 

“I went to check on the kids. Needed some clothes.”

“They alright, yeah? “

“Yeah.” Vanessa nods. “They're spark out.”

“Good.” She dips her fingers below the fabric of the other woman's shirt and starts tracing lazy patterns on the warm skin. 

“Everything alright downstairs?”

“Yeah, well there was a guy in a balaclava trying to get into the safe, but I thought I'd just leave him to it.”

“Okay, ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer.” Vanessa smiles wide before cupping her face and leaning down to kiss her. 

Charity pulls the other woman's body closer and can't help but smile herself when the vet moans. 

She breaks away. 

“Hey, I'm sorry for what happened with Debbie earlier.”

“Its okay. We talked.” Vanessa reassures as she runs her fingers through blonde hair. 

“Yeah I figured when dinner wasn't super awkward.”

“We made sure that we're on the same page.”

Charity moves her hand up her girlfriend's back. 

“Well I'm still sorry.”

“You don't need to apologise for her Charity, she's practically thirty.”

Green eyes shoot up. 

“Alright, shut up before you make me feel old.”

A devilish grin breaks onto Vanessa's face. 

“Well you are a grandma.”

The taller woman abruptly turns over. 

“Okay, you can go then.”

“What?” She sneaks her hand under the quilt and it finds Charity's silk covered hip.

“You heard.” She replies with a high pitched tone. “Feel free to pick Johnny up in the morning.”

Vanessa kisses her cheek and grips her hip a little tighter. 

“Do you really want me to go?” Her voice drops as her hand skates up her lover's side. Charity hums in response. Just as her hand reaches below Charity's breast, she speaks again. “Do you really want me to stop?”

She pulls her hand away before it can fully cup her breast but Charity grabs it and holds it to her body. 

“Don't stop Ness.”

“Are you sure?” Vanessa whispers in her ear. 

“Are you using my tricks against me?” Her hips push back into the other woman's pelvis as fingers pinch her nipple through her nightgown. 

“Are they working?”

Another involuntary hum. 

“You've gotten very good at that.”

Lips move down her neck and they both know that Charity has surrendered herself to it. 

“I had a good teacher didn't I?” The rhetorical question is growled against her skin. A hand slips back down to her hip. “This is what you want, right?” Vanessa checks. She can't help it and Charity has to smile at how sweet she is. 

She takes her girlfriend's hand again. 

“Fuck yes.” She punctuates her statement by guiding the vet's hands between her now slightly parted legs. 

In a flurry of movement Vanessa flips her onto her back and straddles one thigh, her fingers delicately running through her soaking folds. She feels her eyes roll back into her head as she grips the material of the other woman's shirt. 

“Charity.” The word comes out horse, choked on desire. 

They make eye contact and Vanessa smiles. 

“You're so beautiful.”

She shakes her head in response and sits up, forcing the smaller woman to sit back in the process. She pulls her girlfriend's top over her head in a swift movement and attaches her lips to a hard nipple, newly revealed. 

After twenty seconds of reveling in the sensation, Vanessa pushes on her shoulders. 

“Babe,” She holds Charity's face. “Let me?” It's a question. Let me love you. Let me make you feel beautiful. Give me permission. 

When she gives a slight nod, the landlady is gently guided back onto the bed, all the while being kissed with a deep passion she can't compare to. Hands reach for the hem of her night gown and she lifts her hips so that it can be swiftly moved over her head. She settles comfortably back into her surrender to the feeling. 

Vanessa's lips are on her chest, her collarbone, and again on her breasts. Her hands find their way into her lover's hair, encouraging her to keep going. Then those soft, lips move down, over her stomach. Down and up and down again. Slight bites tease her. Her hips roll upwards. 

“Ness.” A single plea before she has to cover her mouth with her hand. 

Vanessa's lips are on her core finally and she is overwhelmed by the feeling. She wants to scream when a tongue slips over and between her folds. When two fingers circle her entrance, she begs with her hips, rolling in encouragement. She pulls the other woman's head up so that she can swallow her desperate moans in a kiss. 

Vanessa slowly pushes two fingers inside of her. 

“More.” She whispers against what are now bruised lips. Charity bites down on the lower one for good measure. 

The smaller woman slips her fingers out and returns with three. 

She moans into Vanessa's open mouth. The other woman seems to be revelling in the feeling. She pushes her hips down into every movement of her hand and Charity knows she is losing control. She is putty in Vanessa's hands but she doesn't care. This woman loves her. 

“That feels so fucking amazing babe.” She can't help but say into her neck. She bites down slightly as the feeling builds. 

“Don't give me a hickey babe, we aren't teenagers.” Vanessa replies, pulling up to make eye contact again. “But I want you to feel good Charity.” There's a brief kiss. “I want you to cum for me. “ Another kiss. “And I know you're close.”

Charity hums. Damn Vanessa was good at this. 

“I can feel you getting tighter around my fingers.” Her hips move even quicker as her lips wrap once again around a taught nipple. 

“Fuck.” She bites out through gritted teeth. 

“I want you to cum for me Charity.” She moves to the other breast. “Let go.”

And she does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi
> 
> Can I just say that I love the vanity fantom. 
> 
> Hope you appreciated the gratuitous smut. 
> 
> Love Reading your comments so let me know what you think 
> 
> X


	13. Chapter 13

She's just coming down when the woman above her disappears from view. Fingers pull slowly out of her, to be replaced with a warm tongue a moment later. Her hands go to Vanessa's hair. 

“Babe.” She moans. The sensation suddenly stops and she pushes her weight up onto her elbows to look down at the woman. “Why’d you stop?”

The face staring up at her breaks into that devilish grin again. Vanessa kisses her, low on her stomach, before she lifts up and straddles her thighs. 

Charity can feel how wet her girlfriend is through her shorts. 

“I found something else when I was in your top drawer looking for pyjamas.”

The look on the vet's face tells her instantly what it is. 

“Don't get jealous babe. I have needs yeah, and you aren't always around.”

One hand pushes down on the centre of her chest and she lies back down. She holds onto Vanessa's hips and begins playing with the waistband. 

The woman above leans over her and reaches under the pillow next to her head. She can't resist stretching her neck, so that her lips make brief contact with the sensitive underside of her lover's breast. When she comes back into view, Vanessa has her vibrater in one hand. 

“I'm not jealous babe.” She brings her mouth down to kiss Charity as she slips a leg between the taller woman's. “In fact, it's kind of hot to imagine you here with this.” She pauses and Charity has to inhale sharply when she feels the head of the toy at her centre. 

“Maybe I don't have to imagine.” Vanessa husks against her lips. 

The landlady scrapes her fingernails up her back and digs them into her shoulders. 

“Vanessa Woodfield,” Charity growls, “You do have a naughty side, don't you.”

“And you bring out the best in me.” She laughs, clearly enjoying the mess of arousal the woman below her has become. 

Charity feels the toy move up and down a few times before circling her clit. She grabs her lovers head and pulls her down into a fierce kiss. 

“Is this okay?” Vanessa's voice is small. 

“You fucking me with my own vibrater?” She asks like it's a ridiculous question. “Ness, it's more than okay.” She insists. 

Her legs unconsciously part wider when she feels the gentle vibrations of the toy's lower settings. She moans and closes her eyes, trying to control her breathing. 

Lips are on her collarbone. 

“Do you need…” The question dies in Vanessa's throat. 

“Do I need what, babe?”

An embarrassed face appears above her and Vanessa bites her lip for a second before speaking. 

“Are you wet enough or…” 

“Do I need lube?” Charity smiles. 

The feeling of the toy buzzing inside her disappears suddenly and she can't help the slight whimper that escapes. 

“I don't want to hurt you.” 

Vanessa is kissing her again until Charity pulls her head up. She's smiling even wider, despite missing the sensations that she was just enjoying. 

“Babe, it's good.” She kisses her again. “I want you to keep going,” Vanessa moans at her words. “I want you to go deeper too.” Another moan, this time swallowed by a kiss. “But it's always better to be sure, yeah.”

The smaller woman reaches under the pillow again and produces the bottle. Maintaining eye contact, she pops the lid and squeezes some onto her hand before picking up the discarded item and covering it. She leans back down to hover over her girlfriend, her weight rested on her left hand. Charity waits in anticipation as lips lower to meet hers. Her tongue pushes into her mouth and she gladly slides along it with her own. Charity is pulling on the other woman's hair. She feels like she might explode with satisfaction as the toy is pushed back inside her. She sucks on Vanessa's lower lip as means of controlling herself, scraping her teeth over the inside roughly. She releases it with a pop. The toy slides in and out a couple of times. 

“Yes babe.” She encourages with an arched back. “More.” 

The vet does as she's told and pushes a little further and she is rewarded with Charity desperately biting on her own lip to stifle her cries of pleasure. 

Again the vibrater disappears. The woman below squeezes on her shoulders. 

“Ness, why?”

“Turn around.” Vanessa whispers in her ear.  
“What?” She responds with a curious look. Is Vanessa saying what she thinks she is?”

“Lie on your front.” She bites down on her earlobe for a second. “You can scream into the pillow, while I fuck you.”

Charity has always been surprised by Vanessa's confident side in bed but this is beyond anything she has seen before. This take charge attitude is incredibly attractive but she still feels safe. This is for Charity's benefit and Vanessa couldn't be clearer of her intentions. 

She places one final kiss on her lover's lips.  
“Yes ma’am.” She growls and then manoeuvres herself onto her stomach. She feels the other woman to her left. 

Vanessa lifts blonde hair away so that she can kiss her exposed back. It sends shivers down her spine and she starts to register the feelings of cool air over her body. Charity soon can't concentrate on anything, however, because her girlfriend is slipping back inside her with the toy. Her moans of encouragement into the pillowcase guide Vanessa, who builds up a pace with her movements. 

When her lover turns the vibrations on again, she loses herself completely. Her knuckles are white as they grip onto the mattress under her pillow. The fingers on her left are grabbed by the other woman. She turns her head and finds blue eyes on her. 

After a couple of minutes, her release hits her. She takes a few deep breaths and lets out a satisfied hum before drifting off as Vanessa peppers her back with soft kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I love reading your comments.


	14. Chapter 14

She doesn't completely remember falling asleep but when Charity opens her eyes again, she finds the room in pitch black. She shifts onto her right side and takes in image of the woman beside her. 

Vanessa is lying on her side and facing her. Charity indulges herself by watching the woman sleep beside her. The vet is snoring ever so lightly and her mouth is hanging open a little bit. She places a barely there kiss on her forehead and slips out of the bed. 

After putting her night gown back on, she nips to the bathroom. She tries to get back to sleep but just lies, staring at the ceiling. Eventually, Charity decides to do something to distract herself. She reaches for the switch to her bedside light as she turns to keep an eye on her girlfriend. 

By some miracle, the smaller woman doesn't wake up when the room is bathed in warm light. She opens her bedside drawer and pulls out the book of crosswords she keeps there, the pen holding the page for her. She starts where she left off. 

About half an hour passes before her girlfriend stirs. She continues working through her clues as the mattress starts moving next to her. 

An arm snakes over her lap. Vanessa nestles her head on her chest whilst yawning. 

“What's up?” She says into the silk covering her right breast. 

Charity wraps an arm around her without thinking. 

“Nothing's up. I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.”

“You're doing crosswords in bed. That means you're trying to turn your brain off.”

“You think you know me pretty well, huh?” Charity responds without taking her eyes of the page. 

“I'd be a shitty girlfriend if I hadn't learned some of your habits, after all these months.”

She smiles involuntary, both at her words and the sleepy tone. 

“I'm fine, babe.” Charity kisses the top of the vet's head. 

“Liar.” Vanessa shoots back. She turns her head around and looks at the crossword. “Catholic Saint born in Lourdes, ten letters.”

“I've answered that one.” 

Vanessa shifts her eyes to Charity's writing. 

“Bernadette. Didn't know you were so familiar with saints.” The landlady tries to ignore the surprise in her words. 

“Yeah well, we all need role models don't we.” She jokes. 

Vanessa's hand moves from her hip and points at another clue. 

“Okay, you must have googled that one.”

Charity stiffens. 

“What, because it's about science and I dropped out of school at thirteen?” She can't help but be indignant. 

“No. I just meant because it's a hard question, most people would have had to look that up.”

“Right, but you wouldn't have because of your degree and everything.” Charity practically spits as she takes her arm back from around her girlfriend's body. 

Vanessa sits up and puts her hand on the landlady's chest. 

“What?”

“You think you're smarter than me and you're surprised I know some stuff.”

“Charity.” She whispers. “I'm sorry. What have I done to make you think that.”

“I don't know.” She shrugs. “Everyone thinks they're better than me.”

“And because I've got a few letters after my name, I must be like them?”

“Oh come on. Don't pretend you aren't surprised when I know stuff.” Charity says, dejected as she looks into her lap. 

“Hey,” Vanessa pauses to place a hand on her cheek and lifts her face to make eye contact. “You never let on to how clever you are, but I know you are. You've run businesses. You own half of this place. Charity you are an accomplished woman and nobody can take that away from you. The only difference between us is that I got to stay in school and go to university whilst you had that chance taken away.”

Charity pulls her head away and stares at the far wall. 

“I won't be pitied Vanessa.”

“Good.” Her girlfriend responds as she reaches for her hand. 

Charity can't help but accept it. 

“I'd never pity you. You are amazing.” She squeezes her hand. 

“You really think that?” The landlady asks without looking around. 

“Of course I do.”

There's a long silence. 

“Everyone round here thinks you're too good for me.” Charity finally lets out what's on her mind. 

“Since when do you care what anyone else thinks.” The vet asks in surprise. When all she gets is a shrug back, she thinks about the events of the day. “You're upset about Debbie.” She realises. 

Charity lets out a sigh and starts running her thumb over her girlfriend's palm. 

“I get it.” She accepts in defeat. “She knows more than most what I've done in the past.”

“None of that matters now.”

She laughs but it's humourless. 

“Try telling her that. Try telling your dad for God's sake.”

Vanessa takes her face in her hands and brings their mouths together for the gentlest of kisses. When they separate, she wipes away the tears before they start falling fully. 

“Babe, all that matters is what happens from now. Debbie wants you to be happy and my Dad? As much as I love him, he doesn't know you. He doesn't know us.” She kisses her again and Charity relaxes. “Earlier, when we were talking, he mentioned something he said about avoiding you.” 

“Of course.” Charity shakes her head. 

“He said it not long after we started sleeping together.” Vanessa pauses and twists her hand around in her girlfriend's so that she can start drawing patterns on the back of Charity's hand. “I told him that I couldn't avoid you. How could I, babe?” She asks rhetorically. 

Charity finally looks at her again. She is at a loss for words though. The other woman pushes on. 

“It used to annoy me how much I was drawn to you but then I started being honest with myself.” Charity raises her eyebrows. “I loved being with you, just being in the same room with you, it makes me so happy, Charity.”

“Really?” 

The vet kisses her again. 

“Look, maybe some people would call me crazy but, I realised that somewhere along the way you got a piece of me.”

“What?”

“Yeah. That's why I love seeing you smile.” Vanessa takes her face into her hands. “That's why I love making you cum so hard, you pass out.” She can't help but smile. 

The landlady rolls her eyes. 

“I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I.” 

“No.” Vanessa agrees. “Definitely not.” 

Charity huffs over dramatically and pulls her in for another kiss. 

“You have power here. That's my point.” She whispers against her lips. “Charity, as long as you keep looking after that little bit of me, like you've been doing for months, then you have nothing to worry about. My Dad's opinion is not going to change that. I promise.” 

Charity pulls away and swallows hard. 

“And Debbie really does just want you to be happy.”

“Yeah?” She says in slight disbelief. 

“Yeah.” The vet responds. 

“You get a bit soppy at one in the morning, huh?”

“I guess I do.” Vanessa agrees. “You okay though?”

Charity nods as a smile pulls on her face. She closes the distance and slips her tongue into Vanessa's mouth. Without much resistance, she turns the pair of them over so that she is lying on top of the other woman. She feels Vanessa pull down on her shoulders, pressing them together. 

Her hand travels down her lover's body to rest on her breast. She can feel how hard Vanessa's nipple is against her skin and moans into her mouth. She pinches it roughly. Vanessa takes her lower lip between her teeth in response. Charity scrapes blunt nails down her stomach which causes the vets mouth to fly open. Just as her fingers slip under the waistband of the shorts, a hand stops her. 

“Charity.” Vanessa says with laboured breath. 

“What?” She pushes her body up and to the side to get a better look at the smaller woman's face. 

“You don't have to do that.”

Charity can't help the look of pain that falls on her face. 

“You don't want to?”

“Oh babe.” Vanessa kisses her. “You must know by now that I always want to.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“There's no problem. I just don't want you to feel like you have to. You know, because of earlier.” She can't maintain eye contact as the other woman continues. “I don't want you to do this because you feel like you owe me. We can just fall asleep.”

Charity doesn't let her go any further. She cuts her off with a fierce kiss and she moves her hand between her lover's legs with no protest. 

“I don't want to sleep, Ness. Okay?” There's nothing but a nod in response. “I want to feel you.” A strangled moan follows when her fingers reach the liquid heat covering her core. 

She starts rubbing gentle circles around Vanessa's clit. Her hips almost shoot off the bed but Charity anticipates it and pushes down with her own. 

“Please.” The vet surprises her with a quiet beg. 

“Please, what?” She can feel the wide grin on her face. The power she now has with such a small movement of her hand is almost overwhelming. Vanessa knows her. She knows enough about her life to stay away, but instead she's submitting to her. 

They both know, even if neither would say though, that Vanessa has a piece of her too. Charity has given her more willingly than she has to anyone else. 

She's drawn out of her thoughts by another moan and rough pulling of her head down. Her ear is next to Vanessa's ear. 

“Please, fuck me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

Vanessa walks through the door of the Woolpack with purpose. She spots Chas behind the bar and registers the frustration on her face. Her girlfriend is nowhere to be seen. 

“Hey, is Charity around?”

The look she gets in return tells Vanessa that it was exactly the wrong question to ask. 

“No!” The Dingle woman replies, slamming the pint glass down in front of Daz so hard that some spills over the top. The man thinks better of complaining though and slinks off. “And if you see her before I do,” She squares up to the vet. “Tell her I'm going to wring her neck.” 

“Whose neck, or can I guess?” Frank's asks with a hint of glee and Vanessa stares him down. 

“She went into Hotten shopping, because it's her morning off, but she promised that she would be back for the start of her shift.” Chas explains. 

Frank apparently can't help himself. “Well you should know by now that a promise from Charity doesn't mean much.”

“Dad!” The blonde shouts, obviously louder than he had expected as he jumps in his seat. “What did I say about getting used to this?” She turns back to Chas. “She was supposed to be back an hour before she was due here, so we could have lunch together, but she just stopped texting me like two hours ago. I'm getting a bit worried.”

Nobody notices the doors open or Charity come through them, flanked by two police officers. 

“She's probably just got into some trouble.” Frank shrugs and her head flies around to launch into him. That's when she spots her girlfriend. 

“You have no idea Frank.” She says, getting everyone's attention. 

Vanessa is stunned but Chas speaks. 

“What's happened to you?”

“Miss Dingle probably needs to sit down somewhere quiet.” One of the officers suggests and offers his help in walking her to the back. 

Finally, Vanessa springs into action and meets her girlfriend. “I'll take her.” She notices the red mark just underneath Charity's left eye. “What's happened.”

The taller woman shakes her head as she starts walking. 

“Ask Hotten’s finest.” She points to the men in uniform. “Sure they'll fill you in.”

The vet moves with her until she can sit down on the sofa in the backroom. 

“I was worried when you never text back.” Vanessa tries to get her talking. 

She looks up to the ceiling and moves her head to either side, stretching her neck. 

“Little shit took my phone.”

“You were robbed?” Vanessa's eyes go wide as she sits down next to her. 

“When I got back to my car, some kid was trying to break in. I thought he'd scare easy, so I went over.” She pauses to stretch again and her hand is wrapped up in the warmth of the other woman's. “I was wrong, weren't I.” She turns to look her in the eye. “He hit me.” She points to her face. “When I woke up, the car was gone, along with my bag- which had my phone and purse in.”

“You were knocked out?” Vanessa clarifies as she cups the other side of her face. 

Charity nods against her girlfriend's palm. 

“I fell against the car.” She admits with embarrassment. 

“Well, you're okay now.” The vet reassures before kissing her gently. 

The landlady melts slightly. 

Chas comes into the room a moment later. 

“Hey, the copper gave me this.” She offers them a pharmacy bag. 

“Oh, I forgot.” Charity says as her girlfriend stands to take the painkillers. 

Vanessa goes to the kitchen and gets a glass of water for her. 

“Forgot you were too old to be taking on car thieves, too?” Chas asks. 

“Well, it's not like I don't have a lot of experience, is it.” 

“Right well,” Her cousin continues. “Get up to bed.”

“What?” Charity questions. “Thought you'd be tearing your hair out about me missing my shift.”

“She was.” Vanessa replies. 

“Yeah, well now I know you have a good excuse, don't I?” Chas defends. “And you're in no state to work are you? He said you had a concussion. So go to bed. We'll survive.”

She doesn't have any fight in her when she feels her girlfriend lightly pull on her arm, prompting her to move. Vanessa doesn't stop the contact, her hand sliding to her lower back as they walk up the stairs. 

When she sits down onto her bed, Charity just wants to lie down but two strong hands grip her shoulders, holding her in place. 

Her only act of defiance is a half hearted glare. Vanessa begins lifting her shirt over her head. 

“Well, my day is looking up.” She jokes as her girlfriend kneels down in front of her. 

“Get your pyjama top on Charity.” The vet replies whilst popping the button to her jeans. 

She lifts her hips to allow them to be pulled down her legs. Before she gets redressed, Charity decides to take off her bra too, so that she can totally relax. 

Once in her bed clothes she tells Vanessa that she is going to the bathroom and leaves the room. When she returns, her girlfriend has pulled back the covers and is lying, still dressed, on her side. 

“Come here babe.” She instructs. 

As soon as the landlady relaxes into the mattress, an arm envelopes her and a warm body pushes into her back. 

“You're okay.” Vanessa repeats in a whisper.   
She entwines her fingers with those of the other woman and let's her eyes close. 

 

She pulls her head up and feels the fingers in her hair hold on a little tighter. 

Vanessa is trying to force air back into her lungs. She can't help the smug smile that forms at the sight. She kisses the vet's left hip and moves back up her body to connect their mouths in a fierce kiss. Vanessa's hands move to her shoulders. 

Charity trails her left hand down her lover's body and stops just above her hip. 

“How's your hangover babe? Do you need another round of treatment?” She whispers before biting down on her earlobe. 

When there is no response, the landlady moves her fingers down to her core. 

“Charity.” Vanessa moans into her open mouth. 

They kiss again until suddenly the smaller woman pushes her over onto her back. She settles down and smiles up mischievously. 

“Well, this is exciting.”

She notices the tentative look on Vanessa's face though. 

“Babe, you don't have to do anything if you…”

Soft lips push down into hers and she slides her hands up the vets back. 

“I want to.” She swallows hard before continuing. “I want to make you feel like you just made me… I just… “

Charity pulls her down again. 

“What do you want to do babe?” She kisses her before she can answer. 

Vanessa moves to her neck and places a couple of gentle kisses there. Without saying a word, her fingers slide down the other woman's body until they are between her legs. 

Charity parts them and rolls her hips up in encouragement. 

With trepidation, the smaller woman slides her fingers through wet folds and lifts her head to study Charity's reaction. 

 

Charity wakes abruptly from a shake on her shoulder. She rolls onto her back and meets her girlfriend's eyes. 

“Do you mind?” She blinks. “I was having a really nice dream there, babe.” 

“Sorry.” Vanessa pushes her bottom lip out as she moves down to kiss her on the cheek. “You need to eat something so you can take some more pain medication.” 

She grunts in complaint but relaxes when she feels the vet's hand smooth over her stomach. 

“What was the dream about?”

Charity feels herself smile and the look she gets in response tells her that Vanessa understands. 

“Oh god, Charity. How can you have a sex dream whilst concussed? You are unbelievable.”

The landlady slides her hand to hold Vanessa's. She idly plays with her fingers. 

“I was just reminiscing about the first time you were in this bed.” When Vanessa buries her head into her collarbone, she continues. “Thinking about the first time you touched me.” She pulls the fingers up to her lips and places a delicate kiss there. “You were so nervous.” 

“Shut up.” Vanessa whispers and tries to pull her hand back but Charity grips tighter. 

“And then…” She kisses the inside of her palm before turning onto her side. “You were so good babe.”

Their mouths are a hair's breadth apart. 

“You like embarrassing me, don't you.”

“This is me trying to pay you a compliment.”

Vanessa kisses her gently and runs a hand through her hair. 

“How romantic.” She takes a second to hold eye contact and it almost becomes unbearable for Charity. “I'll go get you some food.”

When she goes to get up, Charity holds onto her arm. 

“Wait Ness.”

Vanessa doesn't need any further instructions. She rubs her thumb over her girlfriend's good cheek and kisses her again, leaning her body down in the process so that Charity can take comfort in the contact. 

She wraps her arms around Vanessa. 

“I'm still pretty good huh?” The smaller woman says against her lips. 

“No argument here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay. Life has been crazy of late.


End file.
